Doctor Who (2005)

Boom Town

Season 1, Episode 11, Aired 6/4/05

Episode Summary

Location: Cardiff, Wales
'Date: 2006
'Enemy: Margaret Blaine (Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen)
The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack stop off in present-day Cardiff to recharge the TARDIS on the Rift they formerly encountered in 1869. Whilst there, they come upon a since-thought-long-dead enemy of theirs, who is hatching a fiendish plot to get a lift back to civilisation.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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John Barrowman

Captain Jack Harkness
Billie Piper

Rose Tyler
Christopher Eccleston

The Ninth Doctor

Fan Episode Reviews (16)

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This was a pointless episode. I can sum it up in two sentences: anti-death penalty rant and Rose/Mickey soap opera.

4.5

"Poor"

By vbkzlfie, Jun 12, 2011 Report Abuse

I wish RTD would stop using Doctor Who as his personal platform to throw his left-wing politics at the audience. Having a character as a mouthpiece for the anti-death penalty message would be fine, but constructing the entire episode to revolve around it is over-egging the pudding. Lest you think I'm being harsh in casting the episode this way, Mr. Davies admits as much in the Confidential episode, saying that this was written just to get to the conversation in the restaurant. The plot is very much an afterthought in "Boom Town", which is the opposite of how it should be.

In his review of WW3, Richard Board made this observation: being encouraged to think is a good thing, but being told what to think is offensive. "Boom Town" very much tries to tell us what to think. We're asked to sympathize with a character that has murdered a number of people, and twice been a part of a scheme to destroy the Earth, which would lead to the murder of billions. Basing an entire episode on the idea that the death penalty is cruel and wrong by trying to make us sympathize with such a murderous character results in a wasted 45 minutes, marking time until the next episode. Equally pointless and unrealistic is making Margaret Slitheen the only character with the courage of her convictions, as demonstrated in the "look me in the eye" scene.

Not only that, but in a show where the Doctor routinely kills or allows aggressive aliens/humans to die so that innocents won't die, any attempt to undermine his actions and character is an absurd soapbox to stand on. Either the Doctor's a cold killer who causes chaos and then runs away, or he's a moralistic traveler who makes hard choices and does his best to protect and save lives. As in "Dalek", the attempt to draw morally relative parallels between the Doctor and his enemies would, if taken seriously, undermine the Doctor's character and the series in general.

Then of course, there's the ending where the Slitheen is reduced to an egg, thus avoiding the need to actually deal with any of the issues raised during the course of the episode. It's a cowardly way out of the dilemma.

On to Rose and Mickey. Mickey has to show how manly he is by crying and saying in an anguished voice, "You left me!" Boo-hoo. I'm not watching "The Young and the Restless"; I'm watching Doctor Who. I don't care about Rose and Mickey's love life, or lack of it. Enough already. Get on with something interesting.

Are you getting the idea that I really didn't like this episode? I can put up with politics I disagree with if they integrate smoothly into the story. I don't watch Doctor Who so that the writer/producer can preach to me. I watch to be entertained. That requires a subtle approach rather than a sledgehammer. This episode has a few entertaining moments early on, but then loses itself in the 'moral'.

As always, I want to like the show, so I can't be content with simply criticizing the bad aspects. To give credit for the good stuff, there were a few nice ideas. Parking the TARDIS to refuel it is something we haven't seen before. With Gallifrey gone, one assumes that the Eye of Harmony as the TARDIS power source is gone as well. The 'cosmic surfboard' is quirky, but creative. Nice to see the rift from "The Unquiet Dead" is still in existence and once again used as a plot device. Seeing the heart of the TARDIS under the center column ties in with Hartnell's explanation about the power source being under the column all the way back in "The Edge of Destruction", making for some nice continuity tie-ins. How the power source is used is absurd, but seeing it isn't.

As for the characters, leave off the unwelcome sexual innuendo, and you have a really strong TARDIS crew here. There's a nice comfortable relationship between the Doctor, Rose and Jack that I enjoy watching. They really do seem to enjoy each other's company and work well together. Nice to see that Jack has some technical skill and some capacity to work on the TARDIS so he can fulfill other functions besides serving as audience identification and a vehicle for plot exposition.

Overall though, despite some nice touches, this episode is a preachy waste of time. 4.5 out of 10.moreless

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1 6
Worst Dr Who episode ever.

6.0

"Fair"

By ben-the-hen, Jun 12, 2011 Report Abuse

This has got to be the most boring, useless, filler episode there ever has been.

There was nothing in that episode that contributed to the rest of the series apart from maybe Rose & Mickey's relationship and Mickey & Jack meeting.

We didn't need Margaret Slitheen to come back, in our minds she was already dead. I think the problem was, we were getting near the finale and the writers had to think of something to put in before it.

It was a huge disappointment and I am glad that it looks like the writers have learnt their mistake and not made another episode like it.moreless

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0 6
A filler episode, that does have an interesting moral questions that doesn't actually get examined.

6.0

"Fair"

By Lord_Fly, Jun 12, 2011 Report Abuse

Overall the episode is slow, no real danger exists and it is more of a set up for the last few episodes. We see Bad Wolf again.

They do try to examine an interesting moral question of willingly sending someone to their death. But they don't do anything with it, they just keep asking if the Doctor can consciously do it. This sort of question is better suited for the philosophy classroom where a back and forth dialogue would allow for some examination rather than on TV with two folks making the same point over and over again.

It was nice to see that they gave Mickey a little bit of depth and letting him make some of his own choices, even if I don't think he is that great of a character overall. Christopher Eccleston brings his dark Doctor persona to the for front, willing to confront problems rather then skate around them.moreless

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0 2
Dinner With Monsters

8.6

"Great"

By queerlybeloved, Jan 22, 2011 Report Abuse

A nice, fun, utterly silly episode, 'Boom Town' has vastly improved on a second viewing. Despite its flaws, it is an episode I hold with great affection, not least for its setting. I'm an adopted Cardiffian so it's nice to see several well-known locations on screen and photographed so beautifully. (The sublime Wales Millennium Centre has rarely looked so great and I've even eaten at the restaurant where Margaret and the Doctor have dinner; nice food actually).

The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack land in twenty-first century Cardiff in order to refuel the TARDIS on the scar left by the opening of the Rift (done in 'The Unquiet Dead'). Rose has contacted Mickey who travels down to see her. What should be a pleasant break turns into something more serious when the Doctor sees that Margaret Blaine- one of the Slitheen who tried taking over Downing Street- is not only still alive, but she's now Lord Mayor of Cardiff and has sanctioned the 'Blaidd Drwg' Project, a nuclear power station to be built right in the centre of Cardiff. The Doctor and the others capture Margaret and offer to take her back to Raxicoricofallapatorious, her home world. But there's one problem; if they do that, they'll be taking her back to her death. Can the Doctor take her back to be executed? This is a purely filler episode with a literal 'deus ex machina' ending which kind of lets it down, but there's also an interesting meditation in the episode about crime, punishment and culpability.

There is a great performance by Annette Badland as Margaret Blaine. Her scenes over dinner with the Doctor are a particular joy, as they discuss the rights and wrongs of taking her back to die. Of course Margaret has planned it so that the nuclear power reactor would go into meltdown purely so she could get away from Earth; casually killing millions of people without a second thought. Yet, in a rare moment of compassion, she lets a young journalist who is about to be married and is pregnant live. Can she really change? Does she deserve to die? And how guilty does that make anyone who facilitates her return to the planet that will kill her? There is a small but very telling scene in the TARDIS; after explaining that they are her executioners, Margaret says 'let's see which one of you can look me in the eye'. None of them can.

The side-plot between Rose and Mickey is good; some strong work from both Billie Piper and Noel Clarke (especially when he breaks down) but sometimes it's given a bit too much screen-time. A shame that John Barrowman isn't given more to do (though he does get the explanation of the pan-dimensional surfboard) but hey he's in the episode so the eye-candy factor's still heightened. The episode is nicely directed, has some nice moments of comedy and, for me, it's just a good bit of fun. The ending, where the heart of the TARDIS opens, is a pure cop-out but it doesn't matter. Like the season two episode, 'Fear Her', we're just making time before we get to the finale. But this is a much more successful episode than 'Fear Her' and generally enjoyable.moreless

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2 0
Someone's trying to blow up the Earth just to get a ride home...

8.0

"Great"

By Liria, Jan 22, 2011 Report Abuse

The Doctor and Rose, still acompanied by Captain Jack, try to stop a Slitheen going by the name Margaret from blowing up the Earth just so she can get a ride off the planet on what might be similar to a surf board. :) The gang meets up with Mickey, which messes with Rose's feelings. Jack's presence continues to be an interesting addition and adds humor to various scenes without his presence seeming forced. The conversation between the Doctor and Margaret throughout the episode and especially as they go out to dinner was very well crafted, and I enjoyed the way her arguments were laid out and the Doctor's responses to each and every one. The ending was a nice twist of events.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The Doctor has obviously forgotten his vow to Peri at the end of the Sixth Doctor episode The Two Doctor where he stated a it would be a healthy vegetarian diet for the both of them from then on, since in his dinner with Margaret he orders steak and chips. Edit
- There are several mentions to previous episodes; Rose mentions Platform One, the setting for The End Of The World and the events of The Unquiet Dead (with the Rift, the Gelth and Gwyneth) are mentioned as well. Edit
- When Mickey is seen getting off the train at Cardiff Central station; the tannoy announcement heard as he gets off the train- which is in Welsh- is telling passengers that the next train to depart from platform three is going to Swansea. Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- Original International Air Dates: Turkey: November 8, 2009 on CNBC-e Edit
- In the French language version of the show, this episode has the title L'Explosion de Cardiff ("The Explosion of Cardiff"). Edit
- Working titles for this episode were The Void and Dining with Monsters. Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- (Rose comes back into the TARDIS after going to find Mickey and seeing he's gone) The Doctor: How's Mickey? Rose: He's OK, he's gone. The Doctor: Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait. Rose: No need. He deserves better. The Doctor: Off we go then. Always moving on. Captain Jack: Next stop, Raxicoricofallapatorious. Now you don't often get to say that. The Doctor: We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance. Rose: That'd be nice. Edit
- (The energy within the heart of the TARDIS turns Margaret into a Slitheen egg) The Doctor: She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be alright. Captain Jack: Or she might be worse. The Doctor: That's her choice. Edit
- Margaret Blaine: If I were to be arrested, then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B. To lock on to the nearest alien power source and open the Rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you. Captain Jack: It's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet. Margaret Blaine: And you with it! Whilst I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys. Surf's up! Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- The Doctor: But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box and the circuit got stuck. The Doctor is referring to the very first episode 'The Unearthly Child' where he and his grand-daughter Susan spend at least three months in 1963 London where a police box wouldn't be out of place. Edit
- Mickey: I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with Big Ears up there. Big-Ears is a fictional character in the series of Noddy books by Enid Blyton. He is a wise, bearded brownie who lives in a toadstool house at the edge of the woods near Toytown, and is Noddy's best friend. It's pretty obvious that Mickey was referring to the actual size of The Doctor's ears this time around however. Edit
- Rose: It's a cloaking device. Cloaking devices were first introduced in Star Trek, and used by the Romulans in the Original Series episode "Balance of Terror". The invisibility came as a surprise to the crew of the USS Enterprise, who considered it only a theoretical possibility. Rose is wrong however and is quickly corrected by The Doctor, who explains it's a Chameleon Circuit. Edit